Including all derivatives, a total of 6.3 million second generation units were produced by the summer of 1991 – that is, 0.79 million Golf cars annually. Golf III. With the launch of the third generation of the Golf in August 1991, Volkswagen heralded a new era of safety. The Golf III was the first of the series to have front airbags, starting in 1992, while major advances in the area of car body construction also resulted in significantly improved crash safety. In addition, numerous other technological milestones of the model range are linked to the third Golf. Many new features made their debuts in this new Golf: the first six cylinder engine (VR6), cruise control, oxidation catalytic converter for diesel engines (1991), the first direct injection diesel engines (TDI in 1993 and SDI in 1995) and side airbags (1996). Likewise, ABS became a standard feature on all Golf models in 1996. In 1993, Volkswagen had also introduced a new convertible based on the Golf III, a new all-wheel drive model (Syncro II) and the first Golf Variant (an estate). The third generation ended in 1997. Including all derivatives, a total of 4.83 million third generation units were produced, or 0.81 million per year. Golf IV. Under the direction of Hartmut Warkuß, then Head of Design at Volkswagen (Group), the clear, precise design emerged for the Golf VI that did justice to the history of the Volkswagen brand more than ever before while setting its course to the future. It is in this era that the Volkswagen design DNA has its origins. With the debut of ESC (in 1998), the car continued to democratise safety. Also in 1998, Volkswagen unveiled the first all-wheel Golf with a Haldex clutch – the Golf 4MOTION. One year later, ESC became a standard feature, initially in Germany. The first direct-injection engine (FSI) and the debut of the standard head airbag (window airbags) followed in 2002. Also in 2002, Volkswagen launched the R32, with a top speed of 250 km/h.